pante, which signifies the meeting, because Simeon and Anna met our Lord in the Temple on this day. The candles carried about on this day were blessed by the priests. It is called Christ's Presentation,' the holiday of Saint Simeon,' and, in the north of England, the Wives' Feast Day.'-See T. T. for 1814, p. 28, and T. T. for 1815, p. 43.

3. SAINT BLASE.

He was bishop of Sebaste in Armenia, and suffered martyrdom in 316, under the persecution of Licinius, by command of Agricolaus, governor of Cappadocia and the Lesser Armenia. His festival is kept a holiday in the Greek church on the 11th of February. In the holy wars his relics were dispersed over the West, and his veneration was propagated by many miraculous cures, especially of sore throats. He is the principal patron of the commonwealth of Ragusa. No other reason than the great devotion of the people to this celebrated martyr of the church, seems to have given occasion to the woolcombers to choose him the titular patron of their profession; and his festival is still kept by them at Norwich, and also at Doncaster, with a solemn guild. Perhaps the iron combs, with which he is said to have been tormented, gave rise to this choice.

The different trades on the Continent celebrate their anniversaries with considerable pomp and ceremony. At Montpellier (according to a recent traveller') the stocking-weavers, coopers, gardeners, and other companies, have each their festive day once in the year. Even the porters have such an honorary day, on which they are accustomed to go through the awkward movements peculiar to their guild before the houses of their customers. The stocking weavers carry on a stage, adorned with flowers and ribands, a wooden weaver's chair, on which a boy appears to be working. The gardeners have a tub with a pole in it, from whence,

* See Mr. Coxe's Guide through France, p. 265.

instead of branches, hang a number of flower-garlands. The coopers carry half-hoops, which are also decorated with ribands and wreaths. All learn very pretty dances, and make masterly turns with their ringlets of flowers or hoops, and disengage themselves again with amazing dexterity and order. The vanity of these people manifests itself on these solemnities under the most varied forms, and occasions a number of ridiculous scenes. Poverty allows only a few of them to put on decent clothing: but with the indigence and dirt that are evident from their dress, they all wear white silk stockings, which are quite covered with feathers of all colours, and a threadbare scarf from the wardrobe of the theatre, and some other showy tatters from the rag-shop. The females are commonly worse dressed, and yet have fashionable ladies' hats, which they mostly borrow or beg from the houses where they serve milk or vegetables. These head-dresses form a singular contrast with the brown and coarse faces which they shade. Many a girl appears also, for want of a female head-dress, in a man's hat, on which is stuck a number of shabby feathers. The porters also adorn their hats on these days with ostrich-feathers, and bind a scarf with gold or silver tassels round their bodies.

The favourite dress is that of an officer. In all their processions there are some who prance about in a soldier's coat, with a stick, sword, and epaulets; all hired from the theatre. The gold epaulet has above all things so many charms for them, that many a one attaches it to his dirty clothes, who has not the money to pay for its hire. An indispensable article in all these festivals is the flags, of which there are a great number of various colours, decorated with inscriptions and paintings. Twelve porters have as many different colours, of which some, to judge by the dirt, might have already served their great-grandfathers.

3.-SHROVE TUESDAY.

This day is also called 'Fastern's Een' and Pancake

Tuesday. Shrove is the preterite of shrive, an antiquated word, which signifies to hear or make confession. On this day it was usual for the people to confess, that they might be the better prepared for the observation of the ensuing season of penitence, and for receiving the sacrament at Easter. It was afterwards converted into a day of idle sports and amusements; and within these few years, in many parts of England, its anniversary was distinguished by riot and drunkenness, by bull-baiting, cock-fighting, and such other diversions as were calculated to promote cruelty, inhumanity, and every thing the most opposite to the virtues which it was the intention of the church to teach and encourage. These barbarous customs, we fear, are not now wholly abolished.-See T. T. for 1814, p. 35, and for 1815, p. 45.

The custom of frying pancakes on this day is still retained in many families throughout the kingdom, but we think the practice not likely to last another century. In the north, the Monday preceding Shrove Tuesday is called Collop Monday; eggs and collops (slices of bacon) composing an usual dish at dinner on this day.

The Popish Carnival commences from Twelfth-day, and usually holds till Lent. At Rome, the Carnival lasts for nine days, and it is no where seen in such perfection as at this place.-See it described at length in our volume for 1815, p. 48.

4.-ASH WEDNESDAY.

Formerly Lent began on the Sunday after Quinquagesima, i. e. our first Sunday in Lent, and ended at Easter, containing in all 42 days; and subtracting the six Sundays which are not fasts, there remained only 36 fasting-days, the tenth part of 360, the number of days in the antient year, then considered as a tythe of the year consecrated to God's service. To these 36 fasting-days, however, of the Old-Lent, Gregory added four days more, to render it equal to the time of our Saviour's fasting, causing it to begin on Ash Wednes

day, three days after Quinquagesima; and thus it has remained ever since. Lent is not of apostolic institution, nor was it known in the earlier ages of the Christian church. For some remarkable fasts, and directions for keeping the true Lent, see T. T. for 1814, p. 39.

*4. 1732.-DR. ARMSTRONG DIED.

The reputation of Armstrong as a poet is almost solely founded on his Art of preserving Health,' which may well be ranked among the first didactic poems in the English language. He was much beloved and respected by his intimates, and seems to have possessed great goodness of heart, as well as extensive knowledge and abilities; but a kind of morbid sensibility preyed on his temper, and a languid listlessness damped his intellectual efforts. The following lines in Thomson's Castle of Indolence' are said to have been meant for his portraiture:

With him was sometimes joined in silent walk
(Profoundly silent for they never spoke)
One shyer still, who quite detested talk;
Oft stung by spleen, at once away he broke
To groves of pine, and broad o'ershadowing oak;
There, inly thrilled, he wandered all alone,
And on himself his pensive fury wroke:

He never uttered word, save when first shone

The glittering star of eve-Thank heav'n! the day is done.' It should not be forgotten that Armstrong contributed to this excellent poem, the fine stanzas descriptive of the diseases to which the votaries of indolence finally become martyrs.

5. SAINT AGATHA.

The cities of Palermo and Catana dispute the ho nour of her birth: but they do much better, who, by copying her virtues, strive to become her fellowcitizens in heaven.'. (Butler.)-She suffered martyrdom under Decius in the year 251.

*6. 1804.-DR. PRIESTLEY DIED.

The mental qualities of this great man were less suited to the laborious investigation of what is termed

erudition, than to the argumentative deductions of metaphysics, and the experimental researches of natural philosophy. Assiduous study had, however, given him a familiarity with the learned languages sufficient in general to render the sense of authors clear to him, and he aimed at nothing more. In his own language he was contented with facility and perspicuity of expression, in which he remarkably excelled. But it is as a chemical philosopher that he stands highest, in the capacity of an inventor or discoverer, and it is in this character that his name will, probably, be chiefly known to posterity.

Dr. Priestley was a man of perfect simplicity of character. In integrity and disinterestedness, in the strict performance of every social duty, no one could surpass him. His temper was easy and cheerful, his affections were kind, his dispositions friendly. Such was the gentleness and sweetness of his manners in social intercourse, that some, who had entertained the strongest prejudices against him on account of his opinions, were converted into friends on a personal acquaintance.

11.-EMBER WEEK.

The Ember days are the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the first Sunday in Lent, and after the 13th of December. It is enjoined by a canon of the church, that Deacons and Ministers be ordained, or made, but only on the Sundays immediately following these Ember feasts.'-(Nelson.)

6

*13. 1691.-MASSACRE OF GLENCOE.

14.-SAINT VALENTINE.

Valentine was an antient presbyter of the church: he suffered martyrdom in the persecution under Claudius II, at Rome. Being delivered into the custody of a man named Asterius, one of whose daughters was afflicted with blindness, he restored the use of her sight, and, by this miracle, converted the whole family to Christianity. They afterwards suffered martyrdom.